Sign with interchangeable characters



A. A. URNESS. SIGN WITH INTERCHANGEABLE CHARACTERS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 6, I919.

9 m% 4. M w m w s m e 1 m m n a. a r n il atented Sept. 12,,

A. UFJNESS, @IE' ALEXANDETA, EETNNESGTA.

"warn nrrnaenenenannn enmaacrnns.

implication filed lleeernher S, 1919.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, Annnnw A. llnnnss, citizen of the United States, residing at Alexandria, in the county of Douglas and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Tmprovements in Signs with lnterchangeable Characters; and T do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

,My invention relates broadly to signs having interchangeable characters, but is particularly directed to the improvement of a road 'or street guide having such interchangeable characters.

The purpose of the invention is to provide certain elements that may be quickly assembled, such as the connection stated, and name of the street or road or the distance and direction to a certain town along the road at various different places where, of

course, difierent indications are required.

The invention, in its preferred form, is illustrated in the accompanying drawmgs wherein like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view in perspective showing a signboard or road guide embodying my invention:

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary enlarged section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a perspective looking at the back of one of the characters and showing the dove-tailed slide applied thereto; and

Fig. 4 is a face view or front elevation showing several of the characters applied to the channel-shaped holding strip.

In the drawings, the numerals 5, 6 and 7, indicate difl'erent characters, each of which, on its back, is provided with a dove-tailed strip 8 that, in a vertical direction, is very much narrower than the character to which it is applied, and in a longitudinal or horiz'ontal direction is considerably wider than the character.

In Figs. 1 and 2, the numeral 9 indicates the signboard formed with dove-tailed channels 10. At one end, or at the intermediate point, each channel 10 is preferably closed by a dove-tailed stop block 11 riveted, or otherwise secured thereto.

As preferably constructed, the characters 5, 6 and 7 and dove-tailed strips 8, the sign- Serial We. 343E391.

board 9 and stop blocks 11 are all stamped from thin sheet metal preferably sheet steel painted, or otherwise coated to prevent rusting. Tn the arrangement shown in Fig. 4, the channel-shaped holding strip 12 is also preferably formed. from sheet metal, and at one end is closed by one of the stop blocks 13.

The characters are adapted to be applied to the board 9 or to the strip 12 by sliding their dove-tailed channel strips 8 into the channels provided therefor, and these dovetailed strips 8 are of such form that their flanges require to be sprung slightly toward each other to effect the entry into the channels and so that the characters will be securely held against accidental slipping in the channels. With the proper selection of materials the resiliency of the flanges may be such that the letters can be inserted and withdrawn without sliding them to the end of the channel. The letters can thus be easily inserted from the front of the board by merely slightly compressing the edges of the strip 8. The outer portions of the dovetailed channels 8 will come flush with the face of the board 9, so that the upwardly and downwardly projecting portions of the characters will lie flat against the said board. Because the said channel strips 8 are very narrow, they leave the letters exposed and do not require more than narrow channels in the board, and, moreover, the longitudinal projection of the channel strips provides for proper spacing of the characters when the several channel strips are forced endwise to ether.

ign or guide boards on the above plan may be quickl erected at the various places along the roa ,or elsewhere, at com aratively small cost, since all of the wor except the small amount required for erection, may be done in the shop or factory. The dovetailed strips 8 and the channels 10, as shown, are of the wedge key type, but the expression dovetailed engagement is used in a broad sense to include elements that will slide, one upon the other while unlocked.

What- T claim is:

l. A sign comprising a supporting back havin a dove-tailed channel therein and a plura 1ty of characters each having a dovetailed strip of sheet metal secured transversely across the back thereof, the top and bottom edges of the strip being free and resilient and normally spread wider than Ill) the channel in the sign, whereby the said edges can be pressed together for insertion into said channel, said strip holding the characters in position by the friction thereof with the sides of said channel.

2. The structure set forth in claim 1, said strips being of much less width than the distance between the top and bottom of the characters and disposed substantially centrally thereof, and being of greater length than the width of the characters to 10 form a spacing means therefor.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ANDREW A. URNESS.

Witnesses:

BERNICE G. BAUMANN, HARRY D. KILGORE' 

